Research Nurse - Community Health - [Archived Advertisement]

PURPOSE

The purpose of this position is to support the NHMRC Partnership to Eliminate Hepatitis C (The EC Partnership), which aims to enhance and deliver programs to increase HCV treatment uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID) using nurse-led models of care in the community settings. 

This will involve providing clinical support and services to community health services (i.e. GPs, Alcohol and other Drug services, Opioid-substitution therapy prescribers, Needle and syringe programs), including clinical needs assessments, case management support (clinical audits), training and education for service providers on the appropriate care and management of hepatitis C, and data collection for research and surveillance purposes. 

In addition, this position may include some level of clinical service provision, such as interviews, liver fibrosis assessment and blood sample collection from participants with histories of injecting drug use and other at-risk populations in other studies currently being undertaken at the Burnet Institute.

These studies include:

• The Hepatitis C Treatment and Prevention (TAP) Study: Hepatitis C treatment for people who inject drugs in a community–based setting using a social network approach.
• Other studies as required.

Training will be provided in all aspects of the position and work will be undertaken under the supervision of the project investigators and clinical trial nurse coordinator.

The Research Nurse will spend most of their time in the field, which includes working in general practice or community services (that is, outside of traditional hospital hepatitis research clinics) but will also involve some desk-based work and regular team meetings. The nature of community work will involve regular travel across greater Metropolitan Melbourne (i.e. Frankston, Geelong), and routine visits across Regional Victoria (i.e. Western Victoria, Gippsland and Murray region) using work provided vehicles or appropriate travel and at times some flexibility with working hours is required to match the needs of study participants.

The position is initially for a 12 month contract and will be available from 0.8-1.0 FTE in consultation with the preferred candidate.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Your responsibilities will include:

• Assessing community sites suitability for the inclusion in the EC Partnership including 
• Support of sites to increase capacity to test and treat for Hepatitis C
• Supporting different models of care within various community settings with the aim to ensure sustainable practices and procedures are adopted
• Support improved data collection within community services and manage collected blood samples and surveillance data
• Following all required ethics protocols and standard operating procedures 

CRITERIA

You will have:

• Registration as a Registered Nurse with AHPRA
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to work in a team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated organisational and time management skills
• Clinical knowledge relating to hepatitis B,C and HIV
• Competence in phlebotomy/blood collection is essential. Expertise particularly among people who inject drugs or otherwise have challenging venous access is preferable.
• High level of reliability and professional conduct, problem solving skills and critical thinking ability
• Experience in undertaking data collection in a community settings and/or with participants with a history of drug use (preferable)
• Clinical research experience (preferable)
• Familiarity with pre and post-test counselling for hepatitis B, C and HIV (preferable)
• Full valid Victorian Driver’s License

Benefit from ongoing support, a monthly accrued day off (for full time staff) and attractive salary packaging working for this leading not-for-profit organisation.  Remuneration will be commensurate with skills and experience. 

Burnet Institute is committed to providing our people with a supportive working environment. We value diversity and gender equity at the institute and provide flexible working arrangements for our staff. Burnet is participating in the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Pilot of the Athena SWAN Charter in Australia.

APPLICATIONS

To apply for this position, please complete the details below and attach the following documents:

• Statement addressing the selection criteria (as outlined in the attached position description)
• Resume including the names and contact details of three referees

Applications close Sunday 11th June 2017 at 11:30pm AEDT (GMT+11)

Burnet is a child safe organisation. The successful applicant may be required to apply for a Working with Children check and/or criminal record check from the Australian Federal Police.